FiberMax cotton supporters gathered Wednesday, October 5, at the FiberMax Center for Discovery, Lubbock, Texas, to share a meal and commemorate 25 years of FiberMax cotton. BASF hosted a two-day event in Lubbock, the starting point for the cotton seed brand, to celebrate the past and share a glimpse into the future of cotton.

BASF Area Manager Mark Kelling walked guests through a timeline of more than two decades of FiberMax achievements, struggles and stories. A panel discussion also was held with four individuals who contributed to the introduction and success of FiberMax cotton in West Texas: Harvey Buehring, Mike Gilbert, Lee Rivenbark, and Linda Trolinder. Each shared their individual journey working with the brand.

“The years in businesses, personal achievements, those milestones are made that much sweeter when you work with extraordinary people,” said Linda Trollinder, senior vice president, BASF Research & Development - Seeds & Traits. “To me, it always comes back to the people and it’s the reason I love this job and this brand in particular.”

Lubbock Field Day

The following day, the BASF cotton team hosted its annual Field Day at its breeding and trait development station. The agriculture community was invited to learn about the latest FiberMax varieties and trait innovations including Axant Flex Herbicide Trait Technology as well as the BASF crop protection solutions available to cotton growers.

“Regulatory approval is still pending for Axant Flex herbicide trait technology, but that’s not stopping the excitement for the launch of this product,” said Cory Mills BASF U.S. Cotton Breeding manager. “Variety performance in the field is looking really strong. We've got excellent germplasm and will be ready to bring this to market in 2024. It’s going to be a game-changer for our growers.”